If your work is based in data and research-based approaches that are proven to move students, then you are on the right track. The key, as a leader, is to find how your work aligns with the new initiative or political strategy du jour. When you take the time to see where the connections are, you will be able to make connections for someone else.
Leadership does not always mean compliance. It means taking a stand for what you know is right - but that takes more than having a squeaky wheel. You really have to have a solid alternative plan that supports the underlying objectives in order to be heard with alternatives. I like the way that Pam Moran ("Edutopia") refers to "Rule Challengers." http://www.edutopia.org/blog/insight-outsight-catalyze-district-wide-learning-pam-moran Being a rule challenger is not being disrespectful - it is asking thoughtful questions and posing realistic alternatives that align to the goals being presented and the goals you are trying to achieve. Frederick Hess refers to this as "cage-busting leadership." Do you have what it takes to think outside the box and push on the expected or status quo to get where you need to go? Or are you merely implementing the initiatives that someone else has presented to you because it is what is expected?
It can be hard as a new principal to stand up to leadership initiatives or political pressure. But you were chosen to be a leader and if you want to lead, you must lead. You are not in your role to follow, but to lead. Sometimes you must find a compromise between the work you believe is right and the initiative of the day. Whatever you decide to do as a leader, know your staff and your students, know the data that supports your decision, and always do what is right for the students in your building and you will be able to make a case for your solution. Don't get caught in the trap of blaming someone else for the initiatives in your building. If you go with them, they are your own - because you are the leader.
No comments:
Post a Comment